


I love you too

by sunshine_kitcat (moonkevin)



Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, But it’s actually 4+1, Childhood Friends, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:14:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25568053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonkevin/pseuds/sunshine_kitcat
Summary: In short; Four boys Eric Sohn loved silently and the one that loved him.
Relationships: HwallRic KyuRic JuRic CobRic are onesided, Kim Sunwoo/Son Youngjae | Eric, minor moonbae and nyukyu
Comments: 17
Kudos: 131





	I love you too

_ #1: Hyunjoon _ .

Eric is eight when he gets his first crush.

He’s at a local park, running around like the hyper little child that he is, laughing into the air as his best friend Sunwoo chases him, trying to tag him with his stubby little fingers. They’re yelping and jumping from structure to structure, not a care in the world for a blissful five whole minutes. Sunwoo is close to Eric now, about to tag him when Eric stumbles forwards, foot caught on the seesaw as he falls forwards, face first into the sand. The whole body stings, pain flaring up his chest as Eric feels the first tear slipping through.

“Eric? Are you crying?! What did I do?! Eric please don’t cry!” Sunwoo rambles, scrambling down to Eric’s side as he pulls him up, panic all over his face and he starts to wipe sand from Eric’s tear-streaked face. Eric sobs, wailing as he feels his raw skin start to itch, blood coating his hand when he tires to wipe his face. The panic on Sunwoo’s face escalates.

“Hey, don’t cry, please don’t cry!” Sunwoo exclaims, panicked as he tries to help wipe the blood away. Eric just sobs harder when Sunwoo’s hand touches his wounds. He looks around, only to find Sunwoo’s brother with his headphones, not even paying them any attention.

“Here, use this,” a new voice calls out, coming from behind Eric. Eric whirls around, looking through his tears as a boy around their age comes into view, hand outstretched as he offers a handkerchief to Eric. His features are sharp and cat-like, a gentle aura of radiance around him that resembles an angel to Eric. His own guardian angel, Eric thinks.

Sunwoo takes the handkerchief in Eric’s stead, thanking the boy he starts to wipe away Eric’s blood and tears. Younghoon notices them around then, rushing over to check on Eric with panic in his eyes. They get him to Sunwoo’s place, where Sunwoo’s mom cleans up his wounds and Sunwoo gives him a cute pororo bandage, but Eric’s mind is anywhere but the present. His thoughts drift, thinking back to the cat-like boy who offered him a handkerchief, feeling something weird squeezing in his chest.

Eric later finds out that the boy is Hyunjoon, who had been in the class next to Eric’s for the past five years, but he simply never noticed. Hyunjoon and him become close friends when the school year starts again, hanging out together with Sunwoo as Eric’s heart starts to squeeze a little more with every passing moment he spends with Hyunjoon. A crush, Sunwoo called it, teasing Eric when he brings it up. Eric waves him off.

Hyunjoon offers Eric a handkerchief again three years later when Eric is crying outside the school gymnasium, loud music from the dance inside booming so hard the floor shakes. Eric has denied it, practically running away from Hyunjoon as his heart shatters into a million pieces. He has seen Hyunjoon lock lips with another boy, an ecstatic grin on his cat-like features as Eric’s heart breaks, dropping his glass of punch as he bolts, not even caring about the yelp Sunwoo gives him from surprise. He’s too late, Eric thinks miserably as he tries to blend into the trees around the playground he met Hyunjoon at, three years ago. The first time his heart squeezed so hard.

(Sunwoo is the one to find him, sobbing and broken in the very same place Sunwoo used to make so many happy memories with Eric in. It breaks Sunwoo’s heart too, by extent, emotions too complicated for an eleven year old to understand drowning him. At that moment, Sunwoo vowed he’d never let Eric have to cry alone again, tucked away from the world with a broken heart.

He ignores his own broken one, shattered three years ago without him even knowing it.)

_ #2: Changmin _

Eric falls in love with dancing before another boy. He abandons the baseball bat and mitts he used to love so much for practice rooms and idol dance videos, learning in his bedroom and sneaking into dance studios to watch when he was only fourteen.

Eric meets Changmin in one of these stalking sessions, a prodigy at dancing who recruits Eric into his little crew with a few others. Eric agrees almost immediately, jumping at the offer the moment his mom gave him permission.

Sunwoo is by his side the entire time, seemingly a genius at the art as they practice together, a new dream forming between them. Sunwoo even falls in love with music, newfound obsession with singing and rapping rising as Eric cheers from the side, content with simply just dancing. Sunwoo’s scouted on their way home from the studio once, their first official class still fresh on their minds as a girl shoves a business card into Sunwoo’s hands and runs. The card was almost thrown into the wind. Eric convinced him to keep it.

Changmin and the dance team throws Sunwoo a goodbye party for leaving their team member as Sunwoo starts his trainee life. Eric spends more time at the studio himself, practicing as late as his parents would allow. He’s with others most of the time, but Eric grows to love the solo sessions he gets with nothing but his body and the music.

“You seem to be working hard,” Changmin calls out during one of these sessions, a look of respect on his face as he leans against the doorframe, arms crossed. Eric smiles weakly back at him, giving Changmin a two-finger salute as he pants, out of breath from practice.

“Mind if I join?” Changmin asks. Eric just grins as he nods, jumping to his feet for another round.

Falling for Changmin is as easy as falling for dance. Eric is heads over heels in two short months, spending too much time staring at Changmin’s pretty orange hair and his sharp gaze in the mirror as he dances. Eric tries to blame it on teenage hormones, but no amount of rationale explains the way his chest constricts when Changmin flashes him an encouraging smile or a dazzling thumbs up. At some point, Eric finally puts a label onto his feelings.

Sunwoo is the first to know, rolling his eyes as Eric rambles, draping himself over Sunwoo’s bed. They don’t talk much outside of school lately, Eric spending many more hours at the studio and Sunwoo whisked away for idol training more often than not. High school is quiet for the two, friendship seemingly fizzling out as their friends naturally change. It’s almost sad, Eric thinks, how easily they drift apart.

“I think I like him,” Eric mumbles into the phone call, half asleep over his homework as Sunwoo snorts over the other end.

“I can tell,” Sunwoo retorts.

Falling in love with Ji Changmin is unbelievably easy, but realizing he crashed into the wrong hole is harder than anything Eric’s ever known in his life. Changmin’s boyfriend, a pretty boy from senior year named Chanhee, starts leaving bouquets of flowers in the studio more and more often after Changmin announces his good news with the team. Eric tries to be happy for him, even sending the couple congratulatory line stickers over text as he tries to ignore the sound of his own heart shattering.

(Sunwoo is, again, the first to hear about it, although not in the way he would’ve wanted. He had already accepted the fact that Eric Sohn would never like him back, dead set on pushing Eric to confess and be happy. Sunwoo was content with that, putting the smile he fell in love with over his own heart as he tried to push them together. It didn’t work.

So he’s clinging onto Eric again, who’s sobbing in his arms as Sunwoo whispers comforting words to try and soothe his best friend. His heart clenches, before breaking all over again.)

_ #3: Juyeon _

Dance takes Eric to university with a scholarship, his friends and family’s encouragement and praise behind him as Eric enters the adult world. Sunwoo is days before his group’s debut, seemingly running himself ragged with preparations as Eric cheers him on, both about to take their first big leap into the entertainment industry.

Eric meets Juyeon twice before he can say hello, once in the university practice room and another time standing on stage with Sunwoo. The group is called The Boyz, a five member boy group that have already amassed a decent following from predebut. Eric didn’t realize the two Juyeons he saw on his class list and the one on TBZ’s member list were the same. Sunwoo introduces Eric to the group after promotions ended, confused when he sees Juyeon and Eric interact amicably. They share three classes in uni, after all.

Eric is no stranger to the squeeze in his heart when Juyeon’s smile starts to imprint itself in his mind, hoping foolishly that this one might end better then the other ones. He knows there’s a whole different set of worries and consequences with this one though, seeing as how Juyeon is now South Korea’s beloved Rookie, nicknamed the Nation’s Heartthrob alongside his bandmate Jaehyun. Eric can testify that nickname, heart practically combusting at the mere sight of Lee Juyeon.

Sunwoo catches on ridiculously soon, starting to tease Eric at every chance possible between his hectic schedules. Eric simply rolls his eyes at them all, denying the accusations as long as he can as he tries to preserve some shred of dignity. The conversations usually shifts to Sunwoo reminding him of the downsides to dating an idol, tone heavy as he tries to warn him. Eric waves him off.

Juyeon is three times as receptive than his other crushes, willing to spend his precious free time grabbing ice cream and going to the beach at night with Eric. The flutter in Eric’s chest grows into something more heated, a passionate drone of emotions rushing up his veins everytime Juyeon swings an arm over Eric and pulls him in for a hug. Really, Eric is about to combust from it all.

“You’re whipped,” Sunwoo summarizes after Eric rambles to him over the phone for over ten minutes. Eric rolls his eyes.

“You’ve never even been in love. Shut up,” Eric mutters back, popping a kelly worm into his mouth as he lies on his bed, phone on speaker by his foot.

“I can spot a whipped dude when I see one,” Sunwoo retorts, crunching sounds coming from his side that sounds an awful lot like snacking. His diet just ended, Eric recalls.

“Shut up,” Eric repeats, cheeks dusting red as Sunwoo cackles over the line.

Eric is faster this time, finally taking the step to confess after running himself in circles out of worry for nearly two hours. He catches Juyeon after class one pretty spring day, pulling him behind a tree outside as he shoves a box of chocolates into Juyeon’s hands. White chocolates, for white day, the one day Eric musters up enough courage to confess.

He’s met with apologetic eyes and a sad smile.

“You’re like a little brother to me, sorry.”

At least he had the decency to return the chocolates.

Eric doesn’t cry over this one, regressing into an emotionless and listless state for about three weeks as he mopes around. His roommate Haknyeon calls him out for it at some point, even managing to find Sunwoo’s contact on Eric’s phone to call the emotional support best friend over after schedules. Eric bids Haknyeon a silent ‘thank you’ as Sunwoo clicks the door to his bedroom open, faced with an Eric who doesn’t want to cry, just staring out the window passively.

“You’re hurting,” Sunwoo observes, voice gentle. He’s never one to sugarcoat anything, Eric reminds himself, pushing back the first prick of tears.

“I really thought he was the one,” Eric mumbles, unable to keep the floodgates closed anymore.

(And if Sunwoo breaks with Eric that day, no one else is to know but himself. His chest constricts as he draws circles on Eric’s back, trying to whisper sweet comforts into his ear as he coaxes the tear out. Juyeon had told him what happened, the one to push Sunwoo out the door when Haknyeon called in the first place. Juyeon said Sunwoo’s the better choice for Eric, anyway.

Sunwoo tries not to let hope creep back into his heart.

_ #4: Jacob _

Changmin has his own studio by the time Eric graduates, inviting him to the team a mere two hours after Eric’s graduation ceremony. Sunwoo is there that day, cap and mask hiding his identity as TBZ starts gaining attention and Sunwoo can’t go out in public freely anymore. He’s the first to congratulate Eric, whooping on top of his lungs along with a shocked Eric as encouragement and congratulations fall easily from his lips.

Jacob is the senior choreographer in the studio, working with some top idol group the first time Eric sees him. His hair is swept back with sweat, a giant whiteboard filled with indecipherable markings as he and an idol exchange ideas. Eric slightly stalks them, lingering by the window into the room as he feels his heart goes thunk again. It’s ridiculous, Eric thinks, how fast he falls.

Jacob does nothing to ease the ache, a beautiful smile and angelic voice coming along with his endless charisma. Eric falls harder with every passing day, not going unnoticed by anyone around him. Sunwoo, in particular, takes notice of it first. He doesn’t push Eric to confess or even teases him about this one though, only giving Eric a sad smile and tight hugs whenever he spots Eric staring wistfully at Jacob again.

See, Jacob Bae has a fiancée.

Eric finds this out from Changmin indirectly when he sees Changmin post a picture of Jacob and his boyfriend of ten years Kevin Moon with the caption ‘Can’t believe they proposed in front of my salad.’ on Twitter. Sunwoo texts him almost immediately, ready to rush over in case Eric slumps into his depressed state again. Eric waves him off through text, ignoring the way his heart squeezes in pain. He’s fallen for all kinds of people at this point, from pretty catboys in primary school to unattainable gods now conquering hordes and hordes of fangirls. He’s moved on too, somehow knitting himself back together after only a few weeks. Really, it was only a matter of time before Eric falls for the one person he can’t move on from.

Nothing in particular changes in the way they interact, a relationship eerily similar to the brotherhood Eric shares with Juyeon. Jacob is gentle and soft with how he handles Eric, buying him ice cream after sessions and even teaching him how to make formations at ass o’ clock in the morning. He’s the one to get Eric his first job, choreographing for an end of year award show performance for a group no other than TBZ.

Sunwoo is teasing and playful in practice while Eric tries to give them instructions, the whole group echoing his mischief because Eric’s younger than them all. Jacob is there too, as the official choreographer but acting more as a supervisor than anything. Eric feels himself levitating with each proud look Jacob sends him, mixing with the guilty knot in his stomach as the feeling turns sour. He can’t be crushing on a taken man.

Sunwoo is the one to slap some sense into Eric the day the wedding invitation comes in the mail, telling him that he needs to move on or he will break in the middle of the wedding and that will just raise all the red flags in the world. Eric doesn’t listen, desperately clinging onto strands of his feelings as he watches the scene unfold, heart broken into a million pieces as he holds his tears in. He’s gotten ridiculously better at it, able to play it off as joy when he beams at Jacob and claps vigorously. Sunwoo glares at him from the audience.

“Stop doing this to yourself,” Sunwoo chides when the wedding starts letting the guests mingle. Eric bites his bottom lip, no longer able to just wave Sunwoo off.

“I don’t know how to,” Eric whispers softly. Sunwoo’s eyes shift into something unreadable, a hint of sadness in them as he sighs, pulling Eric in for a tight hug.

“You’ll figure it out.”

(The worst part is? Jacob was the one to pull Sunwoo aside three days before and tells him he better be the one to end Eric’s bad streak with crushes. He knows, of course, and has known since forever, just never having the heart to shoot Eric down. Instead, he presses a bouquet of flowers into Sunwoo’s palm one day, three whole years after and mouths one singular word.

‘Go.’)

_ +1: Sunwoo _

Perhaps now would be a good time to consider Sunwoo is this whole mess that is Eric’s life. He’s been a constant ever since he stole Eric’s legos back in kindergarten that one fateful day, a solid rock by Eric’s side his entire life. He’s the one to extend a comforting hand through all of Eric’s highs and lows, not once complaining or even mentioning how hard it must be to have to listen to someone irrevocably in love with someone while he knew nothing about love.

(Nothing, in Eric’s mind, that is.)

Sunwoo is the best friend who promised to keep a smile on Eric’s face for a s long as he could, throwing away important schedules and arguing for hours with management to make sure he never misses a single one of Eric’s milestones, always the one by his side to celebrate. He’s the bright red flower in the middle of Eric’s bouquet of people he holds dear, and really, Eric should’ve known it so much sooner.

(Later is better than never.)

His phone is heavy in his hands, a text from Sunwoo glaring at him through the cold sting of the night, a heavy heart in his chest as Eric resigns himself to yet another hopeless crush. Sunwoo wants to meet him, in the middle of the night, no less. Eric’s confusion is only outmatched by the soft thumping in his chest.

(There is always hope.)

“Hey,” a voice interrupts the suffocating silence, making Eric whirl his head around as Sunwoo emerges from behind the tree line, a bouquet of lilacs and lilies in hand. Eric frowns, confusion knitting his brow together. He tries to keep a calm demeanor.

(He’s adorable, Sunwoo notes on his way past the trees. A cute beret on his platinum blond locks as a worried frown crosses his face.)

“Hey,” Eric shoots back, feeling a familiar rush shoot up his body as his innards turn to liquid. He gulps, trying not to stare at the way the night wind flutters through Sunwoo’s hair in a way that makes the other boy look ethereal.

(Eric is more ethereal, Sunwoo thinks, practically glowing under the dark sky. He’s been glowing for so many years as Sunwoo’s constant North Star in the dark, scary world.)

“I, uh, need to tell you something,” Sunwoo mumbles, hiding the bouquet behind his back as he refuses to meet Eric’s eyes, red tinting his cheeks. It reminds Eric of himself that one pretty summer day so long ago, getting shot down by Juyeon. He tries to calm his racing pulse.

(Sunwoo’s pulse is racing as well, memories and regrets filling his mind as Sunwoo thinks back to all the years he waited for, too scared to make the first move. Even this scheme was orchestrated in part by Jaehyun and Younghoon, who tag teamed to finally get Sunwoo into the right situation)

“Okay,” Eric whispers, trying to urge Sunwoo into spilling already. A lump builds in the back of Eric’s throat out of anxiety.

“Do you… know where we are?” Sunwoo suddenly asks, pursing his lips as he glances around. The air is silent, still and suffocating as Eric frowns.

“The playground near your house,” Eric replies, trying to figure out what Sunwoo’s doing. Sunwoo just bites his bottom lip, looking ridiculously cute as he finally looks up to meet Eric’s gaze. His eyes are filled with anxiety and fear, the tiniest hint of hope in them as he swings the bouquet from behind his back, holding it out for Eric.

(The air is cold on Sunwoo’s skin, but the hum under his veins keeps him warm. Fondness drips from his gaze as he drowns in Eric’s smooth chocolate brown ones, feeling his body jitter with nerves.)

“The place I first fell in love with you,” Sunwoo corrects, a weak smile on his features as Eric’s eyes widened in disbelief. His heart starts hammering, beating at a million beats per minute as Eric gapes.

(Is that a no?)

“What do you mean?” Eric asks, hesitating. Sunwoo takes the step forwards, placing the bouquet in Eric’s hands before stepping back, a sag to his shoulder as he looks away.

(It’s not a no.)

“I still love you, if that’s what you wanted to know,” Sunwoo mumbles and it feels like summer just bloomed in Eric’s senses. It’s exhilarating, the rush of joy and realization that blooms under his skin like a cherry blossom. Everything is picturesque in that moment, when Eric ignores the bouquet and just surges forwards, twenty plus years of unrecognized fondness drowning him as Eric closes the distance, finally letting his lips meet someone else’s.

(His lips are chapped, Sunwoo notes, dry but so, so perfect as they slot against Sunwoo. A million butterflies release from Sunwoo’s stomach, fluttering about as relief dances through Sunwoo’s head, making him dizzy as he presses back, kissing Eric with fervour. He’s dreamt of this moment for years, he thinks, almost given up completely until Eric paws at his shirt, pulling Sunwoo closer as he returns to reality. He did it.)

“I’m so sorry,” Eric whispers, feeling a tear prick at the corner of his eyes when they part, dropping his head to Sunwoo’s shoulder as he sobs. Sunwoo’s hands cups his face, lifting Eric up as something flashes through his eyes. He smiles, shaking his head.

(Eric Sohn is beautiful in his hands, gentle and delicate like a doll but strong and charismatic in Sunwoo’s heart. Sunwoo hates the way the tears pool at Eric’s eyes, spilling and staining his cheeks as he whispers broken apologies. Sunwoo’s heart squeezes at the sight.)

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” Sunwoo whispers softly, tucking a strand of hair behind Eric’s ear. He shakes his head, still burrowed in Sunwoo’s collarbone.

“I’m sorry for taking so long,” Eric mumbles. Sunwoo just laughs at him, pulling him in for another kiss as the serotonin returns, flooding Eric’s senses entirely again.

(Sunwoo is drowning too, but this one is pleasant. Really, he wouldn’t trade anything for the beautiful boy in front of him, beaming into the kiss as Sunwoo’s heartbeat reaches near concerning levels. He doesn’t care.)

“I love you.”

(“I love you too.”)

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me @heonynchans if u wanna scream at me :P


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